Student Experience at The Women Who Build Summit
I am a Building Construction Technology (BCT) student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and had the pleasure of attending the 2026 Women Who Build Summit.
The day began with a keynote by Shabana Basij-Rasikh, co-founder and president of the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA). I was moved by her story of deep gratitude for her college education and her sense of responsibility to use her position to support girls in Afghanistan who are in the same situation she once was.
As a freshman, she launched a project to create the first all-girls boarding school in Afghanistan to give Afghan girls access to education and opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have. The school began in a rented house with 25 students in grades 6th through 12th. I was especially impressed by how she convinced a neighbor to sell their home so the school could expand next door.
The most heartbreaking part of her story was when the students and faculty had to evacuate Afghanistan to another country. I was amazed by the courage it took for students as young as 10 to leave their country and families behind forever in pursuit of education and opportunity. It’s devastating that this is their reality, but also deeply inspiring.
Their resilience was equally inspiring when they resumed classes just four days later in a hotel, turning rooms into classrooms. I found myself wondering if I would have the courage to make that choice and honestly, I’m not sure I would.
It was also incredible to see a new, beautiful, larger school being built in Rwanda, designed with student input so it truly feels like home. Even so, the school can only accept 1% of applicants, leaving many without options which is why Shabana has also launched an online program that’s already reaching over 30,000 students, 70% who are women.
Her story reminded me how fortunate I am to have access to education in a safe environment. It’s easy to get caught up in small problems, but stories like this bring attention back to what truly matters. The power of construction can create meaningful change and I want to be part of making an impact that improves people’s lives.
The day continued with three breakout sessions. I attended “Storytelling Frameworks for High Impact Teams” by Erin Miller, which stood out because I’m currently taking a BCT communications course focused on becoming a stronger speaker and presenter. My professor often emphasizes how powerful storytelling can be used to make a point and engage an audience, something I’ve seen firsthand when his personal stories immediately capture everyone’s attention.
In Erin’s session, I learned that understanding your audience ahead of time and finding a way to connect with them is key to having them resonate with you and what you’re saying. She explained that when clients hear from multiple companies, messages can start to sound the same, but personalized stories are what they remember. Erin also introduced the S.T.A.R. framework, Situation, Task, Action, Result, as a simple way to structure a story, focusing on clarity, not complexity.
I was also drawn to this session because it was interactive. Erin mentioned that the average human attention span is about 12 seconds, similar to a goldfish. The interactive format kept the session engaging as I moved around, spoke with industry professionals and even shared my own story with the room. Using the S.T.A.R. framework, I described how I earned an internship with Whiting-Turner in Washington, D.C. for the upcoming summer.
I was grateful for all the support and positive feedback. I’m a very expressive person so when I’m excited about something it shows and it meant a lot to see others share in that excitement with me. Sharing my story also led to networking connections and I’m looking forward to telling my professor about this, as his class helped prepare me to speak in front of experienced construction professionals with far more construction knowledge and experience than my
20-year-old self. This event definitely encouraged me to keep building my speaking and presenting skills for future professional opportunities.
I then attended “Conceive, Construct, Celebrate: Science on Display” by Elizabeth Clarkin, Sindu Meier and Angela Nelson. Their presentation focused on the renovation of the Museum of Science in Boston and I was blown away by the design and attention to detail.
From the glass walls to the fact that the structure sits directly on the river, every element was thoughtfully planned. They shared details like flooring designed for dancers, ceiling supports strong enough for silk acrobatics, reclining auditorium chairs and even a cardboard mockup of the gender-inclusive bathroom to ensure it was set up correctly.
It was incredible to see the level of intention behind every part of a project like this. I’m amazed by how complex a project of this scale is and how many people come together to bring it to life. I will definitely be visiting when it fully reopens in fall 2026.
Lastly, I attended “Prefab in Practice: Real-World Applications from Shop to Site” by Anna DiLorenzo, Luiza Mills, and William Seery. Prefabrication and modular construction are big interests of mine, so I was eager to learn more.
I learned that prefab can be used far beyond residential housing, including specialized spaces like modular healthcare units. One key takeaway was how much it reduces installation time, with hospital operating rooms able to be ready in just hours compared to the traditional 7 to 8 week timeline.
In conclusion, I left the event inspired and motivated. It deepened my interest in construction and reminded me that thoughtful design, storytelling and project management can have a real impact on people’s lives.